The Rebellion
by Yami no Ryu
Summary: Daniel is Meryre, personal slave of Ra. Jack is Sef, once-First Prime and now leader of the rebel faction looking to overthrow Ra. They meet, and set into action a series of events that changed the lives of the people of Earth forever. Pre-Movie
1. The Rebellion

Title: The Rebellion  
Rating: PG-13  
Words: 2563  
Spoilers: "Stargate" the movie  
Summary: Daniel is Meryre, personal slave of Ra. Jack is Sef, once-First Prime and now leader of the rebel faction looking to overthrow Ra. They meet, and set into action a series of events that changed the lives of the people of Earth forever. Pre-pre-pre-pre-pre-Movie

The pyramid stood tall and grand and proud, the desert sands blowing against the limestone rocks without notice. Inside it was a bustling hive of activity as dark, black-haired slaves and Jaffa of many races went about their duties. Ra was not yet back, but he would be within the hour, and things had to be perfect. Meryre, 'beloved of Re', sat serenely on a lavish couch.

He hated it, all of it. The Jaffa, the worshippers, the priests and priestesses, the slavery, and most of all, Ra himself. He so wished he could join the growing rebellion, help overthrow Ra and free his people, but as the self-proclaimed god's personal _hem_, or slave, he could never escape unnoticed. No, he could _never_ escape.

Rumors had reached him of a _req-ib_, a rebel commander who called himself Sef. Sabotaging Ra's plans and ambushing his soldiers, the _req-ib_ was said to have the aid of the Tok'ra. And he was supposed to be very handsome.

Meryre envied him. Sef, like the _hem_, knew that Ra was a false god - something few others knew or believed. Unlike Meryre, Sef had the power to do something about it. Meryre pushed his long black hair out of his face angrily, odd blue eyes flashing. How he wished he could _do_ something.

A Jaffa came up and knelt; as Ra's _hem_, Meryre held a position equal to First Prime. "Speak, Jaffa," Meryre said kindly. There was no use being angry with a simple soldier that had no choice but to follow the orders of the monster.

The Jaffa looked up quickly, before ducking his head and saying, "Lord Ra approaches; he bids that you return to his chambers and ready yourself for his return."

Meryre sneered, but it wasn't aimed at the Jaffa, a mere messenger. It was aimed at the creature calling itself 'God'. "Thank you, Jaffa - Tel'shak'el, is it not?"

The Jaffa gave a nod. "Yes."

"Thank you, Tel'shak'el. You are dismissed."

The Jaffa stood, bowed again, and hurried off. He, like all Jaffa, knew what his god meant when he said to make ready for his arrival. Many heard the screams that echoed around the pyramid, emanating from Ra's innermost chambers. They knew they were the _hem_'s screams.

Meryre stood, a weary acceptance settling over his mind and soul. Ra was always more violent when he returned from wherever he went. Ra was always more rough, less caring of his _hem_. But if he accidentally killed off his favorite slave, no matter. He had a sarcophagus, and Meryre had already been in one more than once.

As he trudged, head held high, to Ra's rooms, he knew he wouldn't survive the night.

When he arrived in Ra's bedchamber, he began to change. His fine silk tunic he took off, draping it over a chair where it would be safe. Meryre was well aware that many didn't even have a tunic, so he always made sure not to waste what luxuries he did have. He then removed his sandals, and put on black-blue silk slippers. He also slipped a see-through, long blue tunic over his head. Then he brushed his hair and began to braid it, leaving soft raven locks to frame his eyes. He lined his eyes with dark, black kohl, making them look wide and innocent. He knew that Ra liked it when the color of his eyes was brought out, as the hair style, kohl and the tunic were intended to do. _Maybe_, Meryre thought, _if I'm pretty enough he won't kill me tonight_.

"When they said Ra's _hem_ was a pretty boy, I didn't think they meant it quite so literally."

The deep, amused, masculine voice startled him from his contemplation. He whirled around to see a dark man, with greying black hair shorn off close to his head. Deep brown, almost black eyes looked at him, appraising him.

"Who are you?" he asked, blushing slightly. The stranger had probably seen him change…

"Nobody," the other answered nonchalantly. He looked familiar…

"You're the _req-ib_!" Meryre exclaimed suddenly. _But that's not where I know him from…_ Meryre thought. Then he added, "Sef."

"Got it in one," Sef said with a roguish smile. "I didn't know Ra had such a looker."

"You should leave, now, before he comes," Meryre said urgently. He didn't know how much time he had before Ra came and began his usual nightly ritual.

"I will," Sef said. "I heard that you wanted to join the rebellion."

Meryre stayed silent, neither denying nor confirming.

Sef shrugged. "Of course, I also know that's impossible, so I'm making you an offer. The rebellion is very, very close to overthrowing Ra. But we need inside help and many of his slaves are too afraid of him to help, and many of his Jaffa are too devoted to him to oppose him. That leaves us with very few options."

"How do you know that I'm not going to tell Ra this information?" Meryre asked, interrupting the _req-ib_.

"I've been watching you for a long time, Neferankh," Sef said. Meryre stepped back in shock. Neferankh was what his name had been before he had been taken into the service of Ra.

"How do you know…that name?" Meryre demanded in shock.

"As I said, I've been watching you a long time," Sef replied.

At that moment, Meryre noticed a scar on Sef's forehead. It was in the shape of a falcon with a sun disk. His eyes widened, "Mesedsure…"

"That's what they call me now?" Sef asked. "Before I was _req-ib_ Sef I was Mesedsure, and before I was Mesedsure I was Khenemetre. And before even that I was simply Sef."

"Mesedsure, 'Ra hates him'…" Meryre said in awe. "Once loyal Khenemetre, First Prime of Ra. The renegade First Prime."

Sef merely raised an eyebrow.

"How did you take…it…off?" Meryre asked, gesturing vaguely at the rebel's forehead, forgetting all about Ra's impending return.

"I had it cut out. It was very painful," Sef returned congenially. "But back to my offer. I need you to keep Ra busy. Make him oblivious to what is happening in regards to the rebels and the faithfulness of his subjects."

"I can try," Meryre said.

Sef's eyes bored into Meryre's. "I need you to _do_."

Meryre froze, then nodded resolutely. "I will."

"Good," Sef said, smiling again, all trace of the deadly commander gone. "Now, what say I blow this rat-hole?"

"There are secret tunnels out of and in to Ra's chambers. Here," Meryre said, pushing in a set of hieroglyphs. Sef watched. A door slid open, revealing a dark passage.

The slight whoosh of the outer door opening made Meryre panic. "You must go now. Ra has come."

Sef nodded to Meryre, then slipped into the tunnel. Meryre pushed in a last glyph and the door closed, making itself undistinguishable from the rest of the ornate wall. Just in time.

Ra glided in, already sans most of his robes. All that was left was the thin inner tunic, and that would soon be tossed away as well. The look in his eyes was predatory. Meryre held his ground, look respectfully at his feet. Ra stalked up, lifting his chin. "I'm in a playful mood tonight, Meryre," Ra whispered silkily. "Play with me."

Meryre's eyes unmasked, showing all the defiance (but none of the hatred, he needed Ra to believe him loyal yet) he held. Ra chuckled, a deep, gloating, pleased sound. Meryre knew he had been right; he'd see the white inside of a sarcophagus before day's first light.

- - - -

Twice more the _req-ib_ slipped into Ra's bedroom and spoke with Meryre. Each time was good news, as Meryre was successfully keeping most of the 'god's' attention from the goings on of the common people and slaves. The third time Sef visited, Ra was away again. With two days still to his return to Earth, Sef was as safe as he could be, and Meryre was relieved.

The rumor had been that Ra's new First Prime had killed Sef.

Meryre enjoyed the scant time he spent with Sef - the _req-ib­_ was funny, caring, gentle, sarcastic at best and skeptic at worst. Then Sef surprised Meryre with a question on his third visit.

"Have you ever loved, Neferankh?" Sef asked. The man always called Meryre by his birth name, and not the one Ra had given him.

"I…well, no," Meryre answered honestly. "In my village, before Ra found me and took me, there was a girl…her name was Satah. She was beautiful, with hair like raven's feathers and skin like the desert sands and eyes like the dunes at sunset. We were to be married in a week. I adored her, and she cared deeply for me, but whenever I was with her, if felt as if there was something missing. I…cared. Very much. But I don't believe I loved her."

Sef sat silent on the floor beside Meryre.

"Do you think you ever could love?"

Meryre shrugged. "I don't know, and I don't suppose I ever will. As _hem_ to Ra, anything other than service to him is forbidden."

"Isn't what you're doing now forbidden as well?" Sef asked with a sideways look.

Meryre stared at the gold-leafed ceiling. "Yes, it is."

"Then you wouldn't mind breaking another rule?"

"Not that one, no."

Sef was silent again. Then he began, "You know I'm not very good with words."

Meryre turned his head to smile. "I think you're better than most, but," he shrugged, "there's always someone better."

Sef smiled, then was solemn again. "You've always been better than me with words. You'd probably talk about it all first. I'm a man of action. I like doing, not talking."

Meryre nodded, wanting to lighten the atmosphere with a witty comment, but sensed it wouldn't be appreciated.

Suddenly, Sef leaned over and kissed Meryre. As soon as his lips touched that of the _hem_, he pulled back, leaving Meryre stunned.

Misinterpreting the look, Sef hastily apologized, "I'm sorry, Neferankh, I didn't know what else to do and-"

"Kiss me again," Meryre cut him off. This time it was Sef's turn to stare in surprise.

"You asked if I could love again. To that I answer now, yes," Meryre said, a smile blossoming on his face. "Kiss me again."

And so he did.

- - - -

Meryre watched as Ra paced, trying to become as small as possible. When Ra was in one of his moods, it often ended with Meryre in a sarcophagus.

Ra had noticed that his slaves were becoming insubordinate, rowdy, rebellious. That day, one had dared attack a Jaffa and open his helmet. He had been killed in front of the whole population as a lesson, but it barely quieted the unrest.

Suddenly there was a shout and the door opened. Ra spun to punish whoever had dared enter his chambers without permission, but the words out of his First Prime's mouth redirected his anger. "The slaves are rebelling!"

With a roar of pure rage, Ra swept out of his room, the Jaffa hurrying after. Meryre exulted; finally the time had come! He ran out of the room, going to one of the windows. He looked over the site to see Egyptians banding together, beating their Jaffa tormenters. Ra's demise was at hand.

Evidently, Ra saw this as well. The pyramid, actually a ship capable of traveling through space, began to move. Meryre was jolted out of his glee when the mighty vessel lifted off of the ground.

_No!_ he thought. Ra could not escape to torture more innocent peoples. He ran, knowing exactly where he would find the dreaded 'god'. Jaffa and Egyptian slaves dashed around in a panic, not knowing what to do. They didn't notice him as he raced through the corridors.

He skid into the room and saw Ra standing in front of a control panel. "Ra! Stop!"

Ra turned, rage to match his _hem_'s in his eyes. "You dare speak to me?" he growled. The eyes flashed golden as he raised his right hand and threw Meryre across the room with his hand-device. "Traitor! I will have you pay for this."

Meryre crashed into the wall, but remained conscious. He staggered to his feet, and once he regained some semblance of balance, fairly flew across the space separating them. He drew his stolen knife, stabbing it into Ra's stomach and twisting. Ra howled with pain and anger. "Your death is at hand," Meryre hissed. His blue eyes, so blue, were practically red with wrath.

"No," Ra rasped. He backhanded Meryre, making the slave loosen his grip enough for Ra to throw him back again. Then he advanced, hand-device glowing an angry red.

- - - -

Sef ran through the halls of the pyramid-ship. He needed to find Meryre before the other did something rash. _If he hasn't already_, he thought. He pulled out two hidden knives and cornered a Jaffa. Ironically, it was Tel'shak'el.

Sef had a double-pointed blade aimed at the Jaffa's stomach, where his larval Goa'uld was. The other, a slightly curved, single-edged dagger, was held at the soldier's throat.

"Tell me where Meryre and Ra are," he snarled. Tel'shak'el pointed down a corridor.

"Two lefts and a right," he said. Sef withdrew his knives and ran off.

Tel'shak'el sent a prayer along with him. He was fond of the god's _hem_. _May your feet be swift, my friend, and save Meryre from the wrath of the gods_.

- - - -

Sef followed the Jaffa's directions, heart beating so fast he could barely breathe. He turned the last corner and ran into a door, just in time to see Meryre slump to the floor and Ra deactivate his ribbon-device. He dropped to the floor beside his beloved, checking for a pulse.

"He's dead," Ra informed him, joy tingeing his voice. Sef stood, his two knives poised for combat. With the hand-device, Ra sent him against the wall, making him drop his weapons. Then he came up.

"If it isn't Mesedsure, once Khenemetre, my former First Prime," Ra said languidly. Sef struggled to get up. Ra kicked him, forcing him down again. With a horrible, malicious smirk, Ra tore open Sef's tunic to reveal the stomach pouch where all larval Goa'uld were kept until maturity. "I should have done this long ago."

Then, using Sef's own two-pronged knife, he reached in and tore the Goa'uld larva from the Jaffa's pouch. Sef could only groan.

"You should know better than to challenge a _God_, Mesedsure," Ra said, adding mockingly, "Or is it Sef now? No matter; nobody will remember you anyway."

"Maybe not," Sef gasped. "Maybe nobody will remember me, or Meryre - no, Neferankh - but you will. And remember this…" Sef had to pause, shaking and white, dying by the moment, "_We will find you, and we will kill you._ Maybe not in this life, but someday, we will _kill_ you."

Ra laughed. And he kept laughing as he watched his former First Prime died, lying next to his already dead lover. Then, as he was healed inside the sarcophagus, he had their bodies burned.

But one day, hundreds of years later, he remembered. As he looked into the dead brown eyes of an Earth military human, and the defiant crystal blue of his long-haired companion, he saw in them his _hem_ Meryre and the _req-ib_ Sef, and he remembered.

_"We will find you, and we will kill you."_

And as he saw the bomb that was counting down, _3…2…1…_ he remembered. And in his last moment he thought: _He was right_.

- - - -

A Note On Names: The names I used for Jack and Daniel's pre-incarnates are as historically accurate as I can make them. It's true that Egyptians often changed their names to show respect towards a Pharaoh or God. Neferankh means "beautiful life", and Meryre means "beloved of Ra(Re)". Sef means "yesterday", Khenemetre means "one who is joined with Ra(Re)", and Mesedsure means "Ra hates him". The girl Meryre was supposed to marry, Satah, means "Daughter of the Moon" as close as I can get it. The Jaffa's name I just made up on the spot.


	2. Side Story, The Boy With Blue Eyes

"The Boy With Blue Eyes"

The underground passages are still being fortified with crystals, and glow blue-purple in the gloom. The Tok'ra have been sparse with their help but what they give the Egyptians is used wisely. He makes sure of that.

They know him by the scar he bears on his forehead, a symbol of rebellion and of slavery. The puckered, white scar-tissue shows starkly against his dark skin, and many look at him with distrust. Indeed, if he hadn't been the last leader's confidant, he wouldn't hold his position now.

As he passes they mutter, 'he was First Prime--how can we trust him?' He intends to show them that he is dedicated to their cause. Even if this leadership is not something he wishes to begin again.

There is one thing that grants him joy in his days. Among the unrest of his newfound rebellion and the distrust of his new followers he has one task he enjoys.

For one hour of the day he will sit and watch the boy. The boy with the blue eyes. The boy doesn't notice him as he sits a few feet away--the obliviousness of youth. One day he hears the boy's mother call him 'Neferankh' and thinks that the name is perfect. He calls the boy Neferankh from then on.

The boy is alive with curiosity and filled with passion. He finds joy in the smallest of things and awe in the greatest of them. He works diligently, his focus single-minded and intense. And he grows to care deeply for this boy.

Then one day as he watches, Neferankh brings home a girl. He hears the boy call her "Satah" and thinks that maybe his boy has grown. But the boy is young, and the girl still younger, and they aren't to be married for years yet. So he sits, and he watches.

Years pass, and he gains the respect and trust of his subordinates. He watches the boy with the blue eyes. He hears the plans and the pranks and the hopes and the dreams. He knows that soon they will be crushed by the heavy burden of adulthood. He knows that someone else is watching the beautiful boy.

So he is only slightly surprised when the Jaffa come to take Neferankh away from his mother, and his father, and his brothers, and his Satah. He is only slightly surprised, but he is deeply terrified.

He tells the Jaffa in the rebellion to watch him, care for him as they can. One dies, and there are two left. They watch the boy, and tell him what they see.

They tell him the boy is Meryre now, and he is the personal slave of his once-master Ra. They tell him that Neferankh is not lo'tar, and that relieves him. They tell him the night that Neferankh loses his innocence, and the night his screams are heard for the first time.

He vows again to kill Ra.

So he watches the boy through other's eyes. Learns that Neferankh is loyal to Ra…

…and time passes.

One day a Jaffa tells him that maybe, maybe Neferankh is not so loyal as he thought. Maybe he can be swayed to join their cause. Maybe he can be the valuable inside link that he has long since lost.

And the maybes are both salvation and destruction for him. He tells the Jaffa to watch the boy harder. He tells them that he wants to get in.

Ra leaves, and he seizes his chance. The Jaffa sneak him in, and he sees Neferankh. The boy is a man now, tall and lean and graceful. And he thinks that maybe this was a bad idea. But he's stuck now, so he says, "When they said Ra's _hem_ was a pretty boy, I didn't think they meant it quite so literally."

Neferankh swings around to him, and his fate--and that of the world--is sealed.


	3. Side Story, Tiy

"Tiy"

The crystals shimmered dully with an inner light. He stopped to trace one with a finger, wondering idly how the Tok'ra had managed to create such fascinating rocks. A feminine voice interrupted his musings.

"You've been to see _him_ again."

The accusation wasn't even phrased as a question. The person knew, without a doubt, what she said was true.

"And if I have?" he replied mildly, turning to face her.

The woman was dark-skinned, like the rest of the people of Egypt, with almond eyes the color of dead leaves. Black khol outlined her eyes, making them seem larger than they actually were. Her raven tresses were wound up in a conventional bun, held by a strip of leather.

"That whore is not worth your time," she snarled. "He is beneath you; far beneath you. And yet you treat him like an equal. He's Ra's bitch!"

Her heated gaze met his ice one. "Neferankh is not a whore, nor is he Ra's 'bitch'. You'd do well to remember that," he said coolly.

"Really, Sef, what has gotten into you?" the woman sneered.

"Nothing more, it seems, than what has gotten into you," he replied, turning his back on her. His military instincts screamed at him that it was a mistake—she was angry and his comment had only enraged her further—but he knew that she would never hurt him.

The woman paled. "You know not of what you speak," she said, trying for scorn but only achieving incredulity.

"I have pledged myself to Neferankh," he said, hands tightening to fists.

"You _fool_!"

Now he turned again, eyes so dark they were almost black. "I decide to whom I give myself, _Tiy_," he said the childhood nickname with derision, "and as my subordinate you have no right to question me. Is that understood?"

The woman looked murderous, her body shaking with anger and profound sadness. "He will be your downfall, Sef."

"Your seduction technique has not improved over time," Sef replied, seeing the conflicting emotions and remembering why she was so angry. He turned away one last time, and began walking away. "Do not address me like this again, Nefertiti, for I will not forgive such insults against Neferankh a second time."

The woman was left standing in the hallway, feeling bereft and alone.


	4. Side Story, The Rumor

"The Rumor"

Meryre slouched idly in a chair, daydreaming of dark silvered hair and mysterious brown eyes. The normal bustle of pyramid life swelled around him: the clang of Jaffa footsteps, the whisper of slave gossip, the boisterous laughter of two slightly intoxicated warriors.

A set of footsteps broke off from the main to stop in front of his seat. He looked up, eyes still unfocussed as the dream played itself out in his mind.

He had far too much free time, he decided absently.

"Meryre, beloved of Ra," the Jaffa intoned. "I have news of the Rebellion."

Now Meryre's gaze sharpened and he stared at the Jaffa intensely. It was one of the rebels, a Jaffa by the name of Seneh. "What news?"

"The rumor goes that the _req-ib_ is dead."

For a moment, the statement didn't process. Sef…dead? No, impossible. Not the strong, sarcastic former First Prime. Not Sef.

For a moment, all Meryre could do was stare in shocked terror. If Sef was dead, that meant the Rebellion had no leader, and would probably fall apart or be found. Then there was no chance of dethroning the false God Ra, no chance of any of the people of Earth ever knowing freedom from his tyranny, no chance of him, Meryre, ever knowing what it was like to be _loved_ and not _used_.

No chance of Meryre finding a name to fit the emotion that raced through his veins whenever Sef's name was mentioned.

…_the rumor…_

"It is simply a rumor?" Meryre asked tightly, grasping for his self-control.

"It is," Seneh affirmed.

"Then he may still be alive?"

"Yes."

"Thank you," Meryre said. Then again, more tenderly, "Thank you."

The Jaffa bowed and left.

Meryre sank back into his chair, and desperately prayed to whatever god, even his own false one, that Sef was alive.

* * *

This side-story is dedicated to DarkJediQueen, the only person who has reviewed. Thank you, DarkJediQueen, for your support. It means more to me than you probably realize. 


	5. Side Story, Bitter Happiness

"Bitter Happiness"

The celebration stopped abruptly. She could not see why, standing in the back of the room with some moonshine, thinking of a rakish smile and the blue eyes she had lost it to. But she did notice when the men stopped singing, when the woman stopped giggling, when everyone scrambled for weapons that were never far from their hands.

"Who are you?"

"Tel'shak'el."

She pushed to the front of the crowd, too tipsy to care about the mutters and not drunk enough to ignore this interruption. She saw a Jaffa with a black falcon-head tattoo on his forehead.

"Why are you here?"

She looked to see that it was Kafelere, "would die for Ra". She mused that a less suitable name could never be matched to an individual, yet Kafelere had never changed it. He claimed he liked the irony. But Kafelere was like that.

"I wish to inform you of the whereabouts of your leader."

The Jaffa was unarmoured and unarmed. What this meant she did not know, though it was probably a tactic meant to establish good faith. Now she spoke.

"What news of Sef do you bring?"

"He is dead."

There was silence and in it the Jaffa became aware that the danger to his life had just increased significantly. He continued, "Ra killed him. I was among those who burned his body and that of the _hem_."

"Is Ra dead?"

The Jaffa shook his head negative in response to Kafelere's question. Kafelere looked to her. As the new leader by default, it would be up to her to decide what to do with the Jaffa. She was silent, thinking.

"Nefertiti?"

"Jail him. I will talk with him later. Kafelere, I must speak with you now."

Two other rebels led the unresisting Jaffa away. Kafelere followed her to a separate room. He closed the door—she remembered how the Tok'ra had objected to the doors and even more to the cells—and she saw the rebellion milling aimlessly around the cavern. Then she turned away when all she saw was wood.

"Nefertiti?"

"Will they be loyal to me?"

Kafelere was quiet. She waited. It was her specialty, after all. Waiting for the chance to kill Ra, waiting for Sef to love her, waiting, waiting, waiting for the end of time and the dawn of freedom. Always waiting.

Finally he answered.

"They know that, despite the falling-out you and Sef had, he trusted you with the rebellion. Yes, they will be loyal to you."

"But."

Kafelere hesitated.

"But with Ra overthrown, there is no need for a Rebellion, and thus no need for rebels. They will go back to farming, or bartering, or whatever they did before they were rebels. They will continued their lives, find husbands or wives, have families, and forget the Rebellion ever existed."

And that was a rather large 'but'.

"Thank you for the truth. Dismissed."

Kafelere bowed and left.

She sat down on one of the stools, letting her head fall into her hands. Ra was overthrown. Sef was dead. She had not had the revenge he promised her. She did not have the love he promised her. She had nothing but an unnecessary rebellion.

She wished she had tears to cry, but they had dried the day she realized Sef did not love her. She wished she had some way to relieve the dark sorrow growing in her. She wished she had some way to ease the emptiness inside of her heart.

Sef knew she loved him, and that made it more painful for her. When they were children, so long ago, Sef had promised he would marry her and protect her from hurt. She had to admit he had. He had. Until he first talked with Meryre. Until he pledged himself to Meryre. Then he had hurt her.

She had not thought things could get worse after that. She was wrong.

But she smiled sharply as the grief hardened into indifference.

Meryre had been Sef's downfall.

She had the bitter happiness of knowing she had been right.


End file.
